Cherrywood Road: Farnborough FC
From Farnborough FC
At the time of writing, Cherrywood Road is known as the Saunders Transport Community Stadium, thanks to a sponsorship deal that is in place. The home of Farnborough FC, it is also the former home of Farnborough Town FC. Lying in the Hampshire town after which the football club is named, it boasts a capacity of 7,000, making it one of the largest stadiums used in non-league football. It was originally known as the John Roberts Ground, but supporters rarely called it that and simply referred to it as Cherrywood Road, thanks to its location, so a decision was taken to change its official name to that prior to sponsorship.
Farnborough Town Football Club was formed in 1967 and is a semi-professional side that became Farnborough Football Club after being put into administration in the 2006-2007 season. It came after being expelled from the Football League, being admitted to the Division One South & West of the Southern League. The club has suffered a number of issues of the years, with many of them being financial ones that have resulted in them having points docked and their very existence put into question. They have enjoyed some relative successes over the years, such as winning the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2001.
Stats
| Cherrywood Road Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1975 |
| Capacity | 6500 |
| Average Attendance | 877 |
| Record Attendance | 4267 (Farnborough F.C. v Ebbsfleet United F.C.) |
| Pitch Size | 105 x 70 (7350) |
| Owner | Farnborough FC |
| Sponsor | Saunders Transport |
| Clubs Hosted | Farnborough Town / Farnborough FC |
| Farnborough FC Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1967 |
| Nickname | Boro, The Yellows |
| Club Mascot | Farney the Falcon |
| Rivals | Aldershot,Woking and Basingstoke |
| Previous Stadiums | Queen's Road recreation ground |
| Kit | Yellow & Blue (Home) / White & Pink (Away) |
| Training Ground | Bisley Training Ground |
| Shirt Sponsor | Tratech Consulting |
| Team Owner | Simon Gardener |
Cherrywood Road Photos
Cherrywood Road Seating Plan and Where to Sit
It isn’t exactly outrageous to suggest that Cherrywood Road is somewhat basic in terms of its layout. The Main Stand has room for just shy of 650 people who wish to sit, with a small open terrace nearby. On the opposite side of the ground is another terrace, known as the Chairman’s Mound, and that is where the club’s most loyal supporters tend to congregate. The John O’Hara Stand is to the East and is a completely covered area with more than 1,000 seats as well as a family enclosure. Away supporters are housed in the Moor Road End, which is a terraced area with room for nearly 2,000 people.
Farnborough FC Ticket Prices
When it comes to tickets to seeing a Farnborough match in person at Cherrywood Road, you’re likely to find that you’ll pay one of the following fees, given that these were the prices for the 2023-2024 campaign:
- Adult – £15
- Concession – £10
- 14-17-year-olds – £5
- Under 14 with a Paying Adult – Free
One thing to bear in mind is that there is a £1 administration fee per ticket when you’re buying your ticket online. Which turnstile you enter will depend on your ticket and your personal situation, with Turnstile 1 being for season ticket holders as well as media and boardroom tickets or anyone who has been given a complimentary ticket. Turnstile 2 is for those that bought their ticket online, whilst Turnstile 3 is for anyone looking to pay cash. Turnstiles 4, 5 and 6 can accept either cash or card.
How To Get Farnborough FC Tickets
A number of lower league sides work hard to make their websites as good as possible in the hope that it will encourage football supporters to eschew the opportunity of watching a Premier League side or a game on the TV in favour of attending one of their matches in person. In the case of Farnborough, that means that you can get tickets online in advance of the game, although you can also get tickets on the gate if you would prefer.
Where to Buy
Getting To Cherrywood Road
Train – There are actually a few choices available to anyone hoping to head to a Farnborough match by train. Frimley Railway Station is located about a mile away, whilst both Farnborough North Railway Station and Farnborough Main Railway Station are more like a mile and a half away.
Bus – For those planning to get to the ground on the bus, you can do so with those travelling either to Farnborough Football Club, obviously, or to Grange Community School. The former are heading North-West and the late to the South-West.
Car – If you’re heading towards Farnborough on the M3 then you’ll want to leave at Junction 4 and get onto the A331 towards Farnham. From there, you’ll quickly take the A325 for Farnborough and follow the signs. If you’re come from the South then the A31 towards Guildford will be where to go, getting onto the A331 and then taking the Frimley exit.
By Air – Though most people won’t have heard of it, Farnborough International Airport is actually a real thing and is where you’ll want to fly into if you’re looking to get to Cherrywood Road for a Farnborough FC match from further afield. Of course, most people will head to a more popular airport such as Heathrow or Gatwick, with the former being 30 minutes away in a car and the latter taking around an hour to reach.
Taxi – With the train stations all being less than two miles from the ground, you shouldn’t be paying any more than about £8 for a taxi from them to the stadium. That being said, this is London so make sure you shop around first.
Parking Near Cherrywood Road
If you’d like to drive to Cherrywood Road then you’re in luck, given the fact there is a car park at the ground that has been relayed in recent years. The charge for its use at the time of writing is £2 snd you need to have the right change for the parking attendant. If it is full or you don’t have any cash, you can opt to park on the street. If that is the case, though, make sure that you’re looking out for any parking restrictions.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Pubs and Bars Near Cherrywood Road
The Gloster
Pub & Grill at Village Hotel Farnborough
The Tradesmans Arms
About Farnborough FC
Having been established the year before, Farnborough Town joined the Surry Senior League in 1968. The first match for the semi-professional side was a 7-6 win over Surbiton Byron, laying the groundwork for the sort of exciting and topsy-turvy future that would be enjoyed by supporters. The club moved up and down through the various divisions of non-league football, eventually being promoted to the Football Conference when they finished second behind Leytonstone/Ilford but the league winners didn’t meet the criteria of the league. It is financial issues that have dogged the club over the years the most, however.
In the 2006-2007 season, for example, Farnborough Town were docked 10 points after going into administration. In the May of 2007 they ended up being expelled from the Football Conference, having to re-form as Farnborough Football Club. As a result, there are some that feel that the side that exists today isn’t the same one that was created in 1967. That side was admitted to Division One South & West of the Southern League and began the arduous journey of trying to climb back up the divisions, facing further financial problems that led to points deductions later on, including another move into administration.
Cherrywood Road History
When the club was first formed as Farnborough Town, games had to be played on a council pitch that existed at the Queen’s Road Recreation Ground. In order to progress up the non-league pyramid, however, it was accepted that an enclosed stadium in which to play matches was a necessity. The result was the obtaining of a site on Cherrywood Road, being developed with support from a local company and the community in general. With a capacity of 6,500, the truth is that the stadium is bigger than Farnborough really need it to be. It first opened in the mid-1970s as The John Roberts Ground.
In spite of its official name, supporters simply referred to it as Cherrywood Road. This remained the case in the early 2000s when the then-Chairman/Manager, Graham Westley, re-named it as the Aimita Stadium. It was briefly known as the Rushmoor Stadium, but it was confused with the local Rushmoor Arena so that too was dropped. It has enjoyed numerous different sponsored names over the years, which is why it is currently known as the Saunders Transport Community Stadium. It has undergone numerous changes and improvements over the years, including the redevelopment of the Prospect Road End in 2016.